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A Wonderful Life at the Goodspeed

A Wonderful Life, Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam

We sent e-list contributor Amanda Bloom up to the Goodspeed to check out their holiday show. Here’s what she had to say:

It’s sacrilegious I know, but I’ve never seen the Christmas classic It’s A Wonderful Life. So when I saw A Wonderful Life, the musical adapted from the film at Goodspeed Opera House, I had no black and white masterpiece to compare it to. I have a feeling it made my journey to Bedford Falls all the more magical.

Duke Lafoon effortlessly embodies bighearted George Bailey, whose generosity leads his housing business into debt, and Kirsten Scott, her voice echoing of a songbird, plays Mary Hatch, Bailey’s high school admirer and soon enough, his loving wife. However, each cast member brings such unique and present characters to the stage that it’s difficult to say any one steals the show. The ensemble is outstanding, and the cohesiveness of the production is most apparent in the show’s seamless scene changes, which are like small choreographed performances in and of themselves. The set is powerful in its sparseness, and the Depression-era costumes are beautiful. The choreography and musical accompaniment is sharp, the lighting creative, and the direction astute.

A Wonderful Life runs through December 6th, so there’s still time to get into the holiday spirit with this heartwarming, high-caliber production before the snow falls.